Page:Historical Sketch of Christian Science.pdf/19

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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF

I characterized as individual entity, but His physical personality I denied. The Real I claimed as eternal; and its antipodes, or the temporal , I described as unreal. Spirit I called the reality; and matter I called unreality.

I knew the human conception of God to be that He was a physically personal being, like unto man; and that the five physical senses are so many witnesses to the physical personality of mind, and the real existence of matter; but I learned that these material senses testify falsely, that matter neither sees, hears, nor feels Spirit, and is therefore inadequate to form any proper conception of the infinite Mind. “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.” (John v. 31.)

These discoveries took me far out to sea. The dry land, the material human concept, disappeared, and I floated into more spiritual latitudes, and purer realms of thought.

From that hour physical personality became much less to me than it is to people who misuse it, I endeavored to lift thought above physical personality, or selfhood in matter, to man's spiritual individuality in Good, God, — to the true Mind, where sensible evil is lost in supersensible Good.

The result of this instruction is a gradual detachment from physical personality, or evil, and consequent attachment to man's spiritual individuality, the image and likeness of God.

A mind imbued with this Spirit and Word of Christian Science gravitates Scientifically toward the state of the Teacher who has thus elevated it.

When such minds meet, it is on the platform of Science,—spiritual Love. This affection, so far from being personal worship, fulfils the law of Love which Paul enjoined upon the Galatians. This is “the Mind which was also in Christ Jesus,” and knows no material limitations. It is the unity of Good and bond of perfectness. This just affection serves to constitute